heavyman26
New member
I started going to the gym and dieting in April. When I began I weighed in at 236 pounds which is obese for a guy who is 5'6. Since then I have lost 24 pounds and have a long way to go yet but I feel really good. My goal weight is to reach the 170 range. I have tried dieting before and always fell off track because I worried so much about how other people perceive me. Since I started doing this for me and me only I have managed to discipline myself and stick with it so far. I think learning to love yourself is an important factor in acheiving sucess. I have changed everything and im really strict. This is only the beginning and I have a long ways to go but the truth is I worked my butt off to lose that 24 pounds.
I no longer eat meat or drink any soda at all and actually take the time to read the ingredients in everything that I eat. I drink a lot of decafinated green tea too which I think helps with weight loss. Being a vegetarian means I had to learn how to cook. I can't ever order fast food like I used to. I load up on healthy stuff like spinach, brocolli, low fat cream of mushroom soup, beans, peppers. I can turn anything healthy into a hot meal. Sometimes I make chili, home made pizzas with low fat cheese, and for lunch I like to have a whole wheat wrap stuffed with raw vegetables. When I feel like I really need something I allow myself a veggie burger. One of my veggie burgers only contains 20 more calories than a Mcdonalds salad so thats pretty good.
For me the hardest part was not even the intense cardio workouts at the gym but just learning how to eat moderate portions and not to eat food late at night. I felt like giving up on late night eating was so difficult that it was just as bad if not worse than when I quit smoking. I was a smoker for 12 years but thats a side issue. The really odd time when I feel like if I don't have potato chips it is a matter of life or death il go pick up some baked lays. They don't have too much fat in them and aren't the same as regular chips but it is what it is. I don't think any potato chip is a wise choice but they only have like 12 percent saturated fats which beats the normal 30 or 40 percent.
I hope to someday be able to live a normal healthy lifestyle free from obesity and it's a process. I can always improve but I feel really good and noticed a big improvement in my fitness level. When I started using the elliptical machine I couldn't even last 15 minutes and now I can do 1 hour. My shirts aren't fitting tight anymore and my jeans are starting to fall off so thats a good thing I guess. Looks like pretty soon I will have to buy myself new clothes.
I no longer eat meat or drink any soda at all and actually take the time to read the ingredients in everything that I eat. I drink a lot of decafinated green tea too which I think helps with weight loss. Being a vegetarian means I had to learn how to cook. I can't ever order fast food like I used to. I load up on healthy stuff like spinach, brocolli, low fat cream of mushroom soup, beans, peppers. I can turn anything healthy into a hot meal. Sometimes I make chili, home made pizzas with low fat cheese, and for lunch I like to have a whole wheat wrap stuffed with raw vegetables. When I feel like I really need something I allow myself a veggie burger. One of my veggie burgers only contains 20 more calories than a Mcdonalds salad so thats pretty good.
For me the hardest part was not even the intense cardio workouts at the gym but just learning how to eat moderate portions and not to eat food late at night. I felt like giving up on late night eating was so difficult that it was just as bad if not worse than when I quit smoking. I was a smoker for 12 years but thats a side issue. The really odd time when I feel like if I don't have potato chips it is a matter of life or death il go pick up some baked lays. They don't have too much fat in them and aren't the same as regular chips but it is what it is. I don't think any potato chip is a wise choice but they only have like 12 percent saturated fats which beats the normal 30 or 40 percent.
I hope to someday be able to live a normal healthy lifestyle free from obesity and it's a process. I can always improve but I feel really good and noticed a big improvement in my fitness level. When I started using the elliptical machine I couldn't even last 15 minutes and now I can do 1 hour. My shirts aren't fitting tight anymore and my jeans are starting to fall off so thats a good thing I guess. Looks like pretty soon I will have to buy myself new clothes.
